Dutch private railway operator Arriva, which has been planning to launch open-access services between the Netherlands and Paris in France, via Brussels in Belgium, will not put this project into operation in 2026. The information was first revealed by Thibault Lapers on his Mobilithib blog, based on statements from the company itself.
Tag: Mons
BELGIUM | Mons en Lumières 2026 lights up the city with a queer-friendly winter spectacle
From 22 to 25 January 2026, the city of Mons in Hainaut transforms into a luminous open-air festival celebrating art, visibility and shared nights.
European Rail Passengers Union launched to give cross-border travellers a voice
A new Europe-wide organisation aims to influence European Union rail policy and fix long-standing international rail problems.
Aachen Christmas Market Trains from Vilvoorde / Antwerp / Lier / Hasselt and Braine-le-Comte / Mons / Charleroi-Central / Namur on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 December 2025
Heritage rail organisation PFT-TSP has confirmed that its Weihnachtsmarkt-Express will run again this winter, offering passengers a festive rail journey from Belgium to Aachen (Aken, Aix-la-Chapelle) in Germany on Saturday 13 December 2025. The special train, which will call Vilvoorde, Antwerp-Central, Lier and Hasselt, will provide a direct and comfortable connection to Aachen Hauptbahnhof –…
BELGIUM | Naming towns and cities: municipalities with Dutch, French, English and other translations
15 November is Dynasty Day or King’s Day in Belgium. 15 November being the name day of Leopold, the name of three of the seven Kings of the Belgians. To mark this occasion, and inspired by a Belga News Agency post, let’s take a look at names of villages, towns, municipalities and cities in the…
Leuven and East Brabant named European Capital of Culture 2030
Leuven (Louvain) and the East Brabant reference region have been named European Capital of Culture 2030 by the European jury. The announcement was made at the Royal Library of Belgium in Brussels, where Leuven’s bid, presented under the banner LOV2030 – Leuven & Beyond, triumphed over its Belgian rivals Namur (Namen) in Wallonia and Sint-Jans-Molenbeek…
NMBS / SNCB sees popularity increase of international train travel
Year after year, Belgian railway operator NMBS / SNCB is seeing growing interest in international train travel during the summer months. Since 2019, the number of bookings via NMBS / SNCB International has increased by more than 50 per cent, the operator says in a press release.
Mons Pride 2025 on Saturday 31 May
Another weekend, another pride in Belgium. After Brussels on Saturday 17 May, Namur (Namen) on Saturday 24 May, it’s now the turn of Mons (Bergen) in the province of Hainaut (Hainault with L if you want to honour Philippa of Hainault, Queen of England).
Arriva surveys customers for Groningen – Amsterdam – Utrecht – Antwerp – Brussels – Paris train
You may remember reports in 2023 on how Deutsche Bahn is interested in running trains from the Netherlands, via Belgium, to France. And DB would use its Arriva brand, already a household name in the Netherlands. Arriva is since 2024 also present in Belgium with the Tri-Country Train.
BELGIUM | Fête du Rail at Rétrotrain, Saint-Ghislain
August 2024. Two weekends in a row, we experienced some Belgian railway heritage. On the 11th, we went to Baasrode-Noord for the Dendermonde – Puurs Steam Railway or Stoomtrein Dendermonde-Puurs over line 52. On the 17th, we travelled all the way to Saint-Ghislain for a special ride over freight railway line 100, organised by Le…